Serial lying and now-indicted Long Island Rep. George Santos is an embarrassment who should resign, ex-congressman and Republican nominee for New York governor Lee Zeldin said.
Voters in the 3rd district that takes parts of Nassau County and eastern Queens are “embarrassed” by the first-term congressman who now faces criminal fraud charges on top of his pile of lies, Zeldin told The Post in an interview.
“The people who voted for him are more upset than the people who didn’t vote for him,” he said.
“If I were him I would have resigned.”
Zeldin said first-term Republican House members who are sure to face tough re-election campaigns in swing districts “don’t need or want” the Santos distractions.
Democrats are already trying to link their GOP opponents to Santos, who is accused of embezzling $50,000 in campaign money to buy designer clothing and pay personal expenses.
Lee Zeldin told The Post that voters in parts of Nassau County and eastern Queens are “embarrassed” by George Santos. Tamara BeckwithFederal prosecutors also allege Santos, 34, cheated his way to COVID unemployment benefits and lied to Congress on financial disclosure forms in which he claimed to be a millionaire, according to the 13-count indictment against him.
Keeping track of Rep. George Santos' lies
Santos has admitted he lied on the campaign trail about his education and work experience.
- Claimed to have attended Horace Mann private school
A school spokesperson told CNN, “We’ve searched the records and there is no evidence that George Santos (or any alias) attended Horace Mann.”
- Claimed to have earned degrees from New York University and Baruch College
After the New York Times reported that neither school could find his name in their records, Santos came clean to The Post.
- Claimed to have worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs
Both financial firms told the New York Times they couldn’t confirm his employment claims.
- Claimed to own 13 rental properties
Santos confessed to The Post that he “does not own any properties” and acknowledged that he lived in his sister’s home on Long Island.
- Touted himself as a ‘proud American Jew’ whose grandparents escaped the Holocaust
“I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos said. “I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background, I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’”
- Claimed his mom was a groundbreaking executive who died as a result of the Sept. 11 terror attacks
Fatima A.C.H. Devolder died on Dec. 23, 2016, at Elmhurst Hospital Hospice.
Santos, 34, pleaded not guilty at his first court appearance last week and then claimed he was a victim of a “witch hunt.” He was released on a $500,000 bond.
Santos is being accused of embezzling $50,000 in campaign money to buy designer clothing and pay personal expenses. Julia Nikhinson – CNPZeldin and Santos shared a treasurer, Nancy Marks.
Zeldin dropped the following questions raised about Santos’ shady finances.
Santos had no immediate comment about Zeldin joining the chorus of Republicans who say he should resign.
